With her father's memory failing and her mother gone, Soraya Thenayu enrolls in distant Darkwood Academy and immediately becomes enemies with the richest kid at school. Between hiding her father's gift of illegally harvested magic, befriending socia...
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Autumn leaves of red and gold spun in the air, carried along by the cool east wind. Slowly, they dropped into the icy river below, creating ripples that ruffled the former mirror-like surface. They turned occasionally while floating downstream towards the rolling hills and valleys below.
"Mama! Don't those look like little boats?" Soraya Thenayu exclaimed, grabbing the hem of her mother's dress and pointing earnestly at the leaves. Adonia looked down into her daughter's bright sky-blue eyes, a smile tugging at her thin lips.
"They sure do, sweetie," she said, patting Soraya's strawberry blond hair. "You have such a vivid imagination, just like your father."
Pleased with her mother's answer, the young girl skipped a few steps ahead and twirled in the breeze before shifting her gaze over the edge of the cliff. Puffs of smoke billowed up from the chimneys of the houses below.
"Soraya," Adonia said. "We've been walking for quite a few hours now. Would you like to take a break by helping me look for some spices?"
Her daughter's face lit up. "That would be fun!" she cried, then spun around and scampered towards the fringes of the forest.
"Let's try not to go deep into the woods. We're just going to search along the path!" Adonia called after her.
Soraya nodded from ahead before stooping low to the ground, scanning the bushes in search of familiar herbs that her mother had taught her to look for.
Meanwhile, Adonia found a Willaby tree to rest beneath. Its long, drooping branches swayed in the breeze, the twilight colored leaves rustling a lullaby. Although she kept her eyes open and watched her daughter dart around, Adonia relaxed as a soft chorus of violins and cellos emanated from the tree's limbs.
After a few minutes, Soraya spotted a patch of clover shaped plants huddled together in the dirt. She carefully knelt over them and sniffed the air.
"Mama, what's the name of the plants that smell like syrup again?"
"Fenugreek, my love," Adonia replied. "Did you find some?"
"Yeah! A bunch of them!" Soraya declared proudly.
"I'll be over shortly," Adonia grunted while getting up. Her round belly sometimes made it difficult for her to balance, so she made sure to bring a cane for support. In another three weeks her child would be born, and she wanted to make sure her husband was with her for the birth.
While waiting for her mother, Soraya looked up towards the Averlore mountains that lay beyond the town. Somewhere along those peaks was her father's study. He kept his magic research well hidden from the prying eyes of other Mages from neighboring kingdoms.
"We want the leaves and the seeds," Adonia explained while digging into the soil around the fenugreek and scooping them up along with their roots. "Not only are they good for you, but they have medicinal properties as well," Adonia then placed the contents into an empty jar that was on hand for such an occasion.
